12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTFOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIAKAREN GOLINSKI,Plaintiff,v.UNITED STATES OFFICE OF PERSONNELMANAGEMENT and JOHN BERRY, Directorof the United States Office of PersonnelManagement, in his official capacity,Defendant./ No. C 10-00257 JSW

NOTICE OF QUESTIONS FORHEARING

TO ALL PARTIES AND THEIR ATTORNEYS OF RECORD, PLEASE TAKENOTICE OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS FOR THE HEARING SCHEDULED ONDECEMBER 16, 2011 AT 9:00 A.M.:The Court has reviewed the parties’ papers and, thus, does not wish to hear the partiesreargue matters addressed in those pleadings. If the parties intend to rely on authorities notcited in their briefs, they are ORDERED to notify the Court and opposing counsel of theseauthorities reasonably in advance of the hearing and to make copies available at the hearing. If the parties submit such additional authorities, they are ORDERED to submit the citations to theauthorities only, with reference to pin cites and without argument or additional briefing.

Cf.

N.D. Civil Local Rule 7-3(d). The parties will be given the opportunity at oral argument toexplain their reliance on such authority. The Court suggests that associates or of counselattorneys who are working on this case be permitted to address some or all of the Court’squestions contained herein.

Case3:10-cv-00257-JSW Document177 Filed12/14/11 Page1 of 3

U n i t e d S t a t e s D i s t r i c t C o u r t

F o r t h e N o r t h e r n D i s t r i c t o f C a l i f o r n i a

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282The parties shall each have 45 minutes to address the following questions:1.The passage of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) marks a uniquedeparture from the recognition the federal government historically has afforded to Statemarital status determinations.

See, e.g., Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow

,542 U.S. 1, 12 (2004) (holding that “[t]he whole subject of the domestic relations of husband and wife, parent and child, belongs to the laws of the States and not to the lawsof the United States.”);

see also Boggs v. Boggs

, 520 U.S. 833, 848 (1997) (holding thatfamily law, including “declarations of status, e.g., marriage, annulment, divorce, custodyand paternity,” is the archetypal area of local concern).a.As DOMA represents a stark departure from the federalist tradition andimplicates a core State power to govern domestic relations, is there anyauthority for the Court to subject the statute to a more rigorousconstitutional scrutiny?b.The few unique examples cited by BLAG when Congress legislated inthe area of domestic relations occurred when Congress was explicitlyacting in the role of state government. Are there any historical examplesin which Congress legislated on behalf of the federal government in thearea of domestic relations?2.Why should the Court not subject DOMA to heightened scrutiny for impactingmarriage, as a basic fundamental freedom and an exercise of personal decision-makingprotected by the right of privacy?

See, e.g., Loving v. Commonwealth of Virginia

, 388U.S. 1, 12 (1967);

In re Levenson,

587 F.3d 925, 931 n.5 (9th Cir. 2009).3.In

Lawrence v. Texas

, 539 U.S. 558, 567 (2003), the Supreme Court, in overruling

Bowers v. Hardwick

, 478 U.S. 186, 190 (1986), noted that the

Bowers

Court had“misapprehended the claim of liberty presented to it” and had failed “to appreciate theextent of the liberty at stake.” Here, BLAG advocates defining the right at issue as theright to same-sex marriage. Is that too narrowly defining the right at issue? What is theauthority for the position that only the right to opposite-sex marriage is fundamental asopposed to the right to marriage generally?4.Are classifications based on religious affiliation treated as suspect class and subject toheightened scrutiny under an Equal Protection analysis? How does BLAG distinguishthe line of authority treating classifications based on religious affiliation as a suspectclass from classifications based on sexual orientation?5.What is the statutory authority for and evidence of compliance with the role that theBipartisan Legal Advisory Group has assumed in this matter? Is this group actuallybipartisan? Does BLAG have the support – and funding for the increasing cost of defending DOMA – from a majority of Congress or just from the House of Representatives?

See Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha

, 462 U.S. 919,940 (holding that Congress is the proper party to defend the validity of a statute when anagency of government charged with enforcing the statute agrees that the statute isunconstitutional).6.How does BLAG distinguish the ruling in

Gill v. Office of Personnel Management

, 699F. Supp. 2d 374 (D. Mass. 2010), which found that DOMA does not pass constitutionalmuster under even rational basis scrutiny?